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Thera 30.1: Phussa
Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(258):Phussa Adapted from the Archaic Translation by Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids. Note: 'C' in Pali text is pronounced as 'ch' as in 'China'. ---- Chapter XVII. Thirty Verses =258. Phussa= Reborn in this Buddha-age as the son of the ruler of a province,1 he was named Phussa, and was trained in all the accomplishments of noble youths. But because of the conditions to which he had attained, his heart hung not upon worldly desires, so that when he heard a certain great Thera preach the Path(Dhamma), he believed, and entered the Monk’s order. Practising himself in Jhāna, he by that established insight, and in due course acquired sixfold abhiññā(higher knowledge). Now one day an ascetic named Paṇḍara-gotta2 heard him teach the Path(Dhamma). And seeing around the Thera a company of bhikkhus(monks) all of virtuous conduct, trained and controlled in body and mind, that ascetic thought: 'Excellent i' faith is this system! Long may it prevail on earth!' And he asked the Thera: 'How will it be, your reverence, with the progress of bhikkhus(monks) in the future?' To explain this situation the Compilers first placed this verse: ---- 949 Pāsādike bahū disvā bhavitatte susaɱvute,|| Isi paṇḍarassa gotto apucchi phussasavhayaɱ.|| || 950 Kiɱchandā kimadhippāyā kimākappā bhavissare,|| Anāgatamhi kālamhi taɱ me akkhāhi pucchito.|| || ---- 949 Paṇḍarasa-gotta, monk, Seeing such a goodly audience, Modest, quiet, meditative, Questions asked, addressing Phussa:- 950 What in the days to come will be your aims, And what will be your tendencies3 and what Will be your customs and observances?4 To me who ask you do you this declare. ---- Phussa: ---- 951 Suṇohi vacanaɱ mayhaɱ isipaṇḍarasavhaya,|| Sakkaccaɱ upadhārehi ākkhicissāmyanāgataɱ.|| || 952 Kodhanā upanāhī ca makkhī thambhī saṭhā bahū,|| Issukī nānāvādā ca bhavissanti anāgate.|| || 953 Aññātamānino dhamme gambhīre tīragocarā,|| Lahukā agarū dhamme aññamaññamagāravā.|| || 954 Bahū ādīnavā loke uppajjissantyanāgate,|| Sudesitaɱ imaɱ dhammaɱ kilesissanti dummatī.|| || 955 Guṇahīnā'pi saŋghamhi voharantā2 visāradā,|| Balavanto bhavissanti mukharā assutāvino.|| || 956 Guṇavanto'pi saŋghamhi voharantā yathātthato,|| Dubbalā te bhavissanti hirīmanā anatthikā.|| || 957 Rajataɱ jātarūpaɱ ca khettaɱ vatthumajeḷakaɱ,|| Dāsidāsaɱ ca dummedha sādiyissantyanāgate. || || 958 Ujjhānasaññino bālā sīlesu asamāhitā,|| Unnaḷā vicarissanti kalahābhiratā magā.|| || 959 Uddhatā ca bhavissanti nīlacīvarapārutā,|| Kuhā thaddhā lapā siŋgī carissantyariyā viya.|| || 960 Telasaṇṭhehi kesehi capalaɱ añjitakkhikā,|| Rathiyāya gamissanti dantavaṇṇikapārutā. || || 961 Ajegucchaɱ vimuttehi surattaɱ arahaddhajaɱ,|| Jigucchissanti kāsāvaɱ odātesu samucchitā.|| || 962 Lābhakāmā bhavissanti kusītā hīnavīriyā,|| Kicchantā vanapatthāni gāvantesu vasissare.|| || 963 Ye 88 ye lābhaɱ labhissanti micchājīvaratā sadā,|| Te te'va anusikkhantā bhamissanti1 asaɱyatā.|| || 964 Ye ye alābhino lābhaɱ na te pujjā bhavissare,|| Supesale'pi te dhīre sevissanti na te tadā.|| || 965 Pilakkhurajanaɱ rattaɱ garahantā sakaɱ dhajaɱ,|| Titthiyānaɱ dhajaɱ keci dhāressantyavadātakaɱ.|| || 966 Agāravo ca kāsāve tadā tesaɱ bhavissati,|| Paṭisaŋkhā ca kāsāve bhikkhūnaɱ na bhavissati.|| || 967 Abhibhūtassa dukkhena sallaviddhassa ruppato,|| Paṭisaŋkhā mahāghorā nāgassāsi acintiyā.|| || 968 Chaddanto hi tadā disvā surattaɱ arahaddhajaɱ,|| Tāvadeva bhaṇī gāthā gajo atthopasaɱhitā.|| || 969 Anikkasāvo kāsāvaɱ yo vatthaɱ paridahessati,|| Apeto damasaccena na so kāsāvamarahati.|| || 970 Yo ca vantakasāvassa sīlesu susamāhito,|| Upeto damasaccena sa ve kāsāvamarahati.|| || 971 Vipannasīlo dummedho pākaṭā kammakāriyo,|| Vibbhantacitto nissukko na so kāsāvamarahati.|| || 972 Yo ca sīlena sampanno vītarāgo samāhito,|| Odātamanasaŋkappo save kāsāvamarahati.|| || 973 Uddhato unnaḷo bālo sīlaɱ yassa na vijjati,|| Odātakaɱ arahati kāsāvaɱ kiɱ karissati.|| || 974 Bhikkhū ca bhakkhuniyo ca duṭṭhacittā anādarā,|| Tādīnaɱ mettacittānaɱ nigigaṇhissantyanāgate.|| || 975 Sikkhāpentā'pi therehi bālā cīvaradhāraṇaɱ,|| Na suṇissanti dummedhā pākaṭā kāmakāriyā.|| || 976 Te tathā sikkhitā bālā aññamaññaɱ agāravā,|| Nādiyissantupajjhāye thaphaŋko viya sārathiɱ.|| || 977 Evaɱ anāgataddhānaɱ paṭipatti bhavissati,|| Bhikkhūnaɱ bhikkhunīnaɱ ca patte kālamhi pacchime.|| || 978 Purā āgacchate etaɱ anāgataɱ mahabbhayaɱ,|| Subbacā hotha sakhilā aññamaññaɱ sagāravā.|| || 979 Mettacittā kāruṇikā hotha sīlesu saɱvutā,|| Āraddhaviriyā pahitattā niccaɱ daḷhaparakkamā.|| || 980 Pamādaɱ 89 bhayato disavā appamādaɱ ca khemato,|| Bhavethaṭṭhaŋgikaɱ maggaɱ phusantā1 avataɱ padan' ti.|| || ---- 951 Listen to my words, Seer, Paṇḍarasa named, And store them in your mind attentively; I will pronounce concerning things to come.5 952 Hasty of temper and malign, Arrogant, hypocritical, Deceitful, envious, bickerers: Thus many in those days shall be; 953 Deeming they know the depths of truth, While standing at the water's edge. Flighty, irreverent towards the Path(Dhamma); And mutually irreverent. 954 Yes, many evils on this earth Shall in the future come to pass. This Path(Dhamma) of ours so well set forth The stupid-minded will corrupt. 955 When in the meeting voice and vote are given, men, though in virtue poor, Will forward be, in backers strong,6 Abusive and unscholarly. 956 When in the meeting voice and vote Are given, they of virtuous mind And honesty will weaklings be, Of shamefaced mood and little zeal. 337 957 Silver and gold, fields, sites and herds,7 Slaves, maids and men, in days to come The undiscerning will accept. 958 And foolish ones in irritated mood, Lacking in ethical restraint, Will savagely go about Like wild things spoiling for a fight. 959 Soberness they will not know:- They will be draped in robe of blue,8 Hypocrites, stiff-necked, obstinate, Chatterers, skilled diplomatists,9 Counterfeiting the saints of old. 960 Hair sleek with oil, and not serious looking, And eyelids with collyrium(kajal) colored, And wrapped in robe of ivory hue: Thus will they go about the streets. 961 The yellow robe, that goodly dye, That freed ones wear without disgust, The Banner of the Arahant(enlightened), Creates in them but uneasiness, Who crave after robes of white. 962 Greedy of gain they will become, Sluggish and poor in energy; Finding fatigue in woodland places, Around the township will they stay. 963 And ever bent on wrongful ways, Without restraint, as pupils apt, They'll follow those who get most gifts. 964 But they to whom no gifts are given, Will find nor honour nor regard; Though they be men of worth and charm, No following will be theirs that day. 338 965 Scorning their own, the yellow gear, Some will wear red of foreign dye,10 And others will be found to wear White robes of some sectarian flag. 966 Dishonour toward the yellow robe They in those days will show; bhikkhus(monks) Will not consider what it means. 967 Want of discernment such as this Was tragedy unthinkable To that wise beast who lay overcome By pain, wounded, in dreadful distress.11 968 For the Six-tusker then saw The well-dyed flag of arahants(enlightened ones), And thereanent the elephant, Pointing the moral, verses spoke: 969 Who makes vice, yet dons the saffron robe, Keeping apart from self-control and truth, Unworthy he to wear the saffron hue.'' '''970 Who vice rejects, firm in virtuous ways, And yokes himself to self-control and truth, Worthy is he to wear the saffron hue'12 971 Immoral, stupid and perverse, A wanton doer, one whose heart Wavering whose mind is overcast(with thoughts): Unworthy he of saffron robe. 339 972 He who with virtue blessed, is freed From passion, is intent in heart, Whose hopes and purposes are white13 Worthy is he of saffron robe. 973 A fool with mind puffed up, distraught, For whom no moral code exists: Gear white of hue did he deserve. For saffron robe what use has he? 974 Monks and Sisters, in that day, With hearts corrupt, and impious, Will bully and humiliate Such as have trained their hearts in love. 975 And fools even by their Elders taught Rightly to wear and use the robe, For want of wit will listen not, Perverse and wanton doers all. 976 And so the fools, instructed thus, Lacking in mutual respect, Will not their tutors' word obey, No more than vicious hack its groom. 977 Thus in the age that is to come Will be the course and tendencies Of bhikkhus(monks) and of bhikkhunīs, When the last time shall be at hand.14 978 Until this time of mighty dread That now is not shall come to pass, Be you of gentle, docile hearts, Filled with a mutual regard. 979 Be loving and be pitiful And well controlled in virtue's ways, 340 Strenuous, bent upon the goal, And onward ever bravely press. 980 That danger did in flirtation lie:- That earnestness is sure and safe:- This when you see, then cultivate The Eightfold Path, so shall you touch, So make your own,15 the Deathless Way. ---- Thus spoke the Thera to his congregation. Now just these verses were his declaration of aññā(supreme attainment). ---- 1 Maṇḍalikarañño. See p. 83, n. 5. 2 The Commentary gives Paṇḍa, Paṇḍara, Paṇḍarasa, as equally valid. Nothing more is known of him; but it may be he is connected with the Paṇḍarangas, a set of 'Wanderers' in the days of Bindusāra and his son Emperor Asoka. Samantapāsādikā, Vtnaya, iii., 300.) 3 = kiṃ-disajjhāsayā (Commentary). 4 =''vārittacārittavanto'' (Commentary). 5 Analogous predictions of dangers besetting the Order in the future (anāgata-bhayāni, etc.) are ascribed, in several discourses, to the Buddha [Ang. Nik., iii. 105-110; cf. pp. 176 f., 247 f., 329 f., 340 339). 6 = pakkhabalena balavanto (Commentary). 7 I.e., for building, or fallow ground - akatabhūmibhāgo vatthu, 'herds,' lit., goats, representing all cattle (Cy.). cf. Vin. Texts, iii. 389 f. 8 'Dyed of inappropriate colour generally' (Commentary). 9 cf. JPTS, 1885, p. 53; Milinda, ii. 258 ; Iti-vuttaka, p. 112. The Commentary in places defines in the same words as Buddhaghosa (Ang. Nik., ii. 26). 10 On milakkhurajanaṃ rattaṃ the Commentary has kāḷakarajanena rattaŋ, 'the nasal ŋ being inserted metri causâ' in milakkhurajana-rattaŋ. 11 Ruppato, dat. of ruppaṃ; sarīravikāraṃ āpajjato (Commentary). cf. Sutta Nipāta, v. 331. 12 From the Chaddanta (Six-tusker) Jātaka, v., No. 514. The elephant, who, it was claimed, was the Bodhisat (destined to become a Buddha), is trapped in a pit by the craft of a hunter, who, to avoid creating suspioion of harm in the beast's mind, disguises himself as a bhikkhu! The Jātaka verses are also incorporated in the Dhammapada, verses 9, 10. cf. Kāsāva-Jātaka, ii., No. 221. On the word-play, kasāva, 'vice,' kāsāva, 'yellow dye,' see M. Müller's Dhammapada, SBE, x. 5, n. 9. The citation of this ancient gāthā, and its story, by another book of the Khuddaka-Nikāya is of historical interest. 13 cf. verse 549. Suvisuddhamano vitakko anāvilasankappo vā (Cy.). 14 'What,' asks the Commentary, 'is the last time (pacchimo kālo)? "From the Third Council" (at Patna, in Asoka's reign) is a reply disputed by some. For there are five stages (yugāni) in the of the Sāsana: Vimutti, samādhi, sīla, suta, dāna. They follow in this order, till only the outward signs (lingamattaṃ) survive.' 15 'Touch' - i.e., 'realize,' Commentary reading phusantā. ----